Back to EveryPatent.com
United States Patent |
5,058,084
|
Riesen
|
October 15, 1991
|
Clock having a device for planning the sex of a child according to the
time selection method
Abstract
In a clock, a device for planning the sex of a child according to the time
selection method exhibits differently marked display sections (3, 4 and
5), relative to a display starting position (2), for labeling the days of
fertility and the days of infertility in a cycle and a limited cycle
variation range. Within the display section for the days of fertility (4),
clearly distinguishably marked day position fields (G and B) are provided
which, for cycle lengths of 27 to 30 days, serve as an indication of the
days of probability for conceiving a boy or a girl. The counting and
display of the days of probability by the cycle pointer (1) occurs from
the respective first day of a new menstruation. Correspondingly, the
display element (1, 11) can be adjusted to the starting position (2).
Inventors:
|
Riesen; Heinz (Busserach, CH)
|
Assignee:
|
B-Line AG (Heimenhausen, CH)
|
Appl. No.:
|
570862 |
Filed:
|
August 21, 1990 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S. Class: |
368/10; 368/28; 600/551 |
Intern'l Class: |
G04B 047/00; G04B 019/24; A61B 010/00 |
Field of Search: |
368/10,28-30,37-40
128/738
235/88 RC
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
3964674 | Jun., 1976 | Van der Gaast | 235/88.
|
4151831 | May., 1979 | Lester | 128/736.
|
4410797 | Oct., 1983 | Hatzold | 235/69.
|
4527906 | Jul., 1985 | Jezbera | 368/107.
|
4788984 | Dec., 1988 | Marsik | 128/738.
|
Primary Examiner: Miska; Vit W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Selitto, Jr.; Ralph W.
Claims
I claim:
1. A clock having a device for planning the sex of a child according to the
time selection method, having an adjustable display element (1, 11) driven
by the clock movement, which display element designates each predetermined
day position within a display area (10) in a similar way to a date
display, the display area, relative to a display starting position (2),
comprising differently marked display sections (3, 4 and 5) to label the
days of fertility and the days of infertility in a cycle and a limited
cycle variation range, wherein clearly distinguishably marked day position
fields (G and B) are provided within the display section for the days of
fertility (4) at different intervals of days--stipulated according to the
time selection method--from the starting position (2), which day position
fields, for cycle lengths of 27 to 30 days, serve as an indication of the
days of probability for conceiving a boy or a girl, it being possible for
the display element (1, 11) to be adjusted to the starting position (2)
for the counting and display, always occurring from the first day of a new
cycle, of the days of probability.
2. The clock as claimed in claim 1, wherein, within the display sections
(3, 4 and 5), the day position fields for the "Girl" days (G) are marked
corresponding to the respective cycle length separately from or
highlighted with respect to those of the "Boy" days (B) likewise
corresponding to the cycle duration.
3. The clock as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said day position fields (G
and B) are arranged in the form of differently colored arcs of a segment
of a circle which are mutually concentrically offset.
4. The clock as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the day position
fields of the cycle variation display area (5) occupy the last four day
fields before the starting position (2) and are labeled with position
numbers (28, 29, 30 and 31) which increase in the drive direction of the
display element (1, 11).
5. The clock as claimed in claim 4, having a concentrically peripheral
drive for the date display, wherein a concentrically central drive (14,
15) of a cycle pointer (1) is derived from the concentrically peripheral
drive (13, 16 and 17) for the date display.
6. The clock as claimed in claim 4, having a date display disk and an
associated drive, of which date numbers positioned concentrically on the
date display disk are each visible through a window (16) in a face (6),
wherein the different display sections (3, 4 and 5) are highlighted
relative to each other by different coloring and/or shaping of the date
numbers and/or of their background.
7. The clock as claimed in claim 4, wherein the display element (1, 11) is
driven either clockwise or in the opposite direction, and wherein the
display area (10) is correspondingly constructed in mirror image with
regard to the starting position (2).
8. The clock as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, having a concentrically
peripheral drive for the date display, wherein a concentrically central
drive (14, 15) of a cycle pointer (1) is derived from the concentrically
peripheral drive (13, 16 and 17) for the date display.
9. The clock as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, having a date display disk
and an associated drive, of which date numbers positioned concentrically
on the date display disk are each visible through a window (16) in a face
(6), wherein the different display sections (3, 4 and 5) are highlighted
relative to each other by different coloring and/or shaping of the date
numbers and/or of their background.
10. The clock as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the display
element (1, 11) is driven either clockwise or in the opposite direction,
and wherein the display are (10) is correspondingly constructed in mirror
image with regard to the starting position (2).
11. The clock as claimed in claim 5, wherein the display element (1, 11) is
driven either clockwise or in the opposite direction, and wherein the
display area (10) is correspondingly constructed in mirror image with
regard to the starting position (2).
12. The clock as claimed in claim 6, wherein the display element (1, 11) is
driven either clockwise or in the opposite direction, and wherein the
display area (10) is correspondingly constructed in mirror image with
regard to the starting position (2).
Description
DESCRIPTION
The invention relates to a clock having a device according to the preamble
of patent claim 1.
The time selection method mentioned there is illustrated inter alia in the
book by Dr. Otfried Hatzold "Wunschkind Sohn oder Tochter" [Planned
Child--Son or Daughter], Munich 1985 (4th edition) and the research report
JSBN No. 3-89 162/003/9 by the same author. A calculation table for birth
planning according to this method is known from DE 2,949,087 A1.
In the known calculation, use is made of the knowledge that the time of
conception within the cycle is decisive for the sex of the child for the
following reasons: the female egg is neutral in terms of sex and the
male-determining sperms swim faster to the egg than the female-determining
sperms, but the latter remain capable of fertilization for longer, namely
for approximately 2 days. In the case of sexual intercourse 2 days prior
to ovulation, a girl can therefore be expected with high probability since
the male-determining sperms do not generally survive this period and only
the female-determining sperms reach fertilization. If, in contrast, sexual
intercourse takes place on the day of ovulation, the probability of
fertilization by a male-determining sperm is high since the latter meet
the egg first due to their faster mobility.
In the course of a research project described in the abovementioned book,
the application of this knowledge has resulted in a success rate of
approximately 90%. However, in order to achieve such a high success rate,
it is, of course, a prerequisite to be able to determine the day of
ovulation with high probability in each new cycle In this case, recording
as many cycle patterns as possible from the past, in particular during the
last 12 months, can give a degree of certainty with regard to expected
variations since the day of the previous ovulation has, with high
regularity, an interval of 15 days from the first day of each new
menstruation. The cycle variations, which can be established with the day
of commencement of menstruation, consequently allow a very reliable
conclusion to be drawn concerning the corresponding shift of the day on
which the last ovulation took place. The smaller the established cycle
variations are, the greater the forecast probability is. An uncertainty in
the calculation, occurring not infrequently in the past even in
professional circles, can today be ruled out by careful application of the
abovementioned calculation table.
Clocks are already known, for example BE-A-729,841, which allow the dates
of a menstrual cycle to be read off, taking cycle variations into
consideration. It is also known to use in a clock different colors or
pictorial symbols to make different periods visible within a menstrual
cycle (CH-A-294,405). However, these known clocks are not suitable for
planning the sex of a child.
The object of the invention is to provide a clock of the type mentioned at
the beginning which gives an overview at any time within a determined
cycle variation range both of the days of fertility and the days of
infertility and of the period of ovulation and the probability of
conception for girls or boys and which does not require any calculations
by the user.
This object is achieved in particular by the features defined in the
characterizing part of patent claim 1.
Further developments of the subject matter of the invention emerge from the
dependent patent claims.
In the clock according to the invention, the abovementioned calculation
errors are ruled out with certainty by the fact that the position fields
for the respective days of conception are numbered according to the first
day of the new menstruation and not according to the cycle length.
The clock according to the invention takes monthly cycle variations of four
days into consideration. The corresponding cycle lengths are between 27
and 30 days; these are represented by the position fields for the 28th,
the 29th, the 30th and the 31st days.
An easily visible arrangement of the position fields is achieved in the
clock according to the invention by the fact that the position fields of
all "Girl" days are marked corresponding to the cycle length separately
from or highlighted with respect to those of all "Boy" days corresponding
to the cycle duration. These markings are advantageously arranged in
mutually concentrically offset segments of circles.
Since, according to a type of embodiment of the invention, the position
fields of the cycle variation display area occupy the last four days
before the starting position and are labeled with the correspondingly
increasing position numbers, it is readily possible on the first day of
the new cycle to read off directly the relevant position field to record
the cycle length, to note the field number and to return the display to
its starting position again.
Further features and advantages of the invention result from the
description of exemplary embodiments which follows, with reference to
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic illustration of a clock designed according to
the features of the invention having a cycle pointer display,
FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic illustration of drive details of a clock
according to FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 shows two illustrations of clocks according to FIG. 1, having a
cycle pointer display moving clockwise in (A) and moving counterclockwise
in (B) and
FIG. 4 shows a diagrammatic illustration of a further embodiment of a clock
designed according to the features of the invention and having a date
window display.
The clock according to FIG. 1 has a face 6, a pair of minute and hour hands
7, a second hand 8 and a display element 1 in the form of a cycle pointer.
Situated behind the visible face area there is a precise clock movement of
conventional construction. The face 6 is provided with a customary hour
and minute division, the 12 o'clock position being characterized
particularly by a triangle symbol. Situated opposite the 6 o'clock
position there is an adjusting wheel 9 which can be displaced between the
three positions illustrated, position 1 being the rest position, position
2 serving for setting and adjusting the cycle pointer 1 and position 3 for
setting the time.
Situated concentrically within the hour and minute division there is an
annular display area 10 which is subdivided into the following sections: a
section 3 which marks the days of infertility in a cycle, a section 4
which indicates the days of fertility and a section 5 to display a cycle
variation range. Starting from a starting position 2 corresponding to the
12 o'clock position of the clock, the display area 10 is subdivided into
31 day position fields, over which the cycle pointer 1 passes in 30 steps,
like a date pointer over a month, and, with the 31st step, jumps back to
the starting position 2. In the illustrated embodiment, cycle variations
of four days are taken into consideration (corresponding to cycle lengths
of 27 to 30 days).
Situated within the section 4 which indicate the days of fertility there
are two mutually concentrically offset section segments G and B. Each
segment is subdivided into four day position fields designated as 28, 29,
30 and 31 corresponding to the cycle variation range and the two segments
overlap by two day positions. The days defined as G are the "Girl" days
corresponding to the cycle duration and those designated as B the "Boy"
days. Situated between these section segments G and B and the ends of the
section 3 there are in each case two day positions as a safety margin. In
practical construction, the "Girl" days can be colored pink and the "Boy"
days can be colored blue.
Knowledge of the individual cycle pattern is decisive for the application
of the clock for determining the sex of a child. If, for example, during
the last 12 cycles (without the pill having been taken) corresponding
records were kept which show that there is a cycle variation range within
the abovementioned variation range, the clock can be used at the beginning
of the next menstruation. For this purpose, the cycle pointer 1 is simply
set at the starting position 2 on the first day of the new cycle. When,
for example, in a cycle duration of 28 day positions resulting from the
records, the pointer reaches the field G with the number 28 in section 4,
there is an increased probability of conceiving a girl on the day in
question. This applies accordingly for the cycle duration according to the
other numbers and for the day positions at B for boys.
When the pointer on its continued path reaches the cycle variation range 5
again and menstruation is supposed to begin, for example, at the day
position 30 of this range, this position number is to be noted and the
cycle pointer 1 is to be set at its starting position 2 again.
In the case of cycle variations within the specified range, if a girl is
desired that field G is to be selected as conception day which corresponds
to the lowest position number noted and, if a boy is desired, in contrast,
the field B with the highest position number noted. Furthermore, it is
important that, within the section 4 for the days of fertility, if a girl
is desired no intercourse without precautions may take place after the
conception day and, if a boy is desired, before the conception day.
FIG. 2 shows an annular disk 13 which has the appearance of a date display
disk. Provided on the inside diameter of this disk there is a driving
toothed wheel 17 of customary construction, via which the disk 13 can be
stepped forward daily by the clock movement (not illustrated). In order to
transmit this drive movement to the cycle pointer 1, a drive digit 14 is
provided which, with its end 15 of bent construction, engages in an edge
notch 16 of the disk. When the disk 13 is rotated by means of the
positioning knob or by stepping by the clock movement, a corresponding
swiveling of the digit 14 is effected which, in turn, moves on the number
pointer 1 connected to it. By means of this simple type of drive, the
device according to the invention can be adapted to conventional clocks
without large-scale production conversions.
FIG. 3 shows two display sections 3, 4 and 5, constructed in mirror image,
for a cycle pointer constructed so as to rotate to the right (A) and to
rotate to the left (B).
In FIG. 4, the sections 3, 4, 5, B and G provided on the face 6 in FIGS. 1
and 3 are provided on a date display disk 15. Instead of the cycle
pointer, a window 16 is provided which makes the respective position
number visible.
Top